Dehalogenimonas lykanthroporepellens BL-DC-9

Dehalogenimonas lykanthroporepellens (strain ATCC BAA-1523 / JCM 15061 / BL-DC-9) is a strictly anaerobic, reductively dechlorinating Gram-negative bacterium isolated from groundwater at a superfund (law designs to clean up sites contaminated with hazardous substances) site located near Baton Rouge, USA, in an area contaminated by high concentrations of several chlorinated alkanes and alkenes. Using H2 as an electron donor, D. lykanthroporepellens couples cell growth to reductive dechlorination of 1,2,3-trichloropropane (1,2,3-TCP), a toxic and likely carcinogenic compound. It also couples cell growth to reductive dihaloelimination reactions involving a variety of other polychlorinated aliphatic alkanes. 1,2-dichloropropane (1,2-DCP) is transformed to propene, 1,2-dichloroethane (1,2-DCA) is transformed to ethene, 1,1,2-trichloroethane (1,1,2-TCA) is transformed to vinyl chloride, 1,1,2,2-TeCA is transformed to a mixture of cis- and trans-dichloroethene (DCE). Unlike some other reductively dehalogenating bacteria, in all of the reductive dechlorination reactions characterized to date, D. lykanthroporepellens appears to exclusively utilize vicinally chlorinated alkanes as electron acceptors via dihaloelimination reactions. Sequencing the genome of D. lykanthroporepellens expands the scientific understanding needed to support the incorporation of biological processes into decision making for environmental remediation and/or long-term stewardship, particularly at sites contaminated with chlorinated alkanes. At present, enzymes and metabolic pathways associated with reductive dehalogenation of chlorinated alkanes remain largely unknown, hampering use of DNA-based approaches in decision-making regarding several environmentally important contaminants (e.g., 1,2,3-TCP, 1,2-DCA). (adapted from PMID: http://genome.jgi-psf.org/dehly/dehly.home.html). (EBI Integr8)